Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Buttermilk Pancakes

The Mission:

Use up the rest of the buttermilk that was needed for the coffee cake recipe. The easiest thing I could think of was to just make pancakes. Everyone likes pancakes, right? So I got out my trusty Red-Checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbook and proceded to gather the rest of the ingredients. Thankfully they were all things I have stocked at all times! So as the husband slept in on this beautiful Saturday morning, I was in the kitchen making pancakes and preparing to bake a few more cookies.

The Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 beaten egg

1 cup buttermilk

The Instructions:In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a fork until blended, then create a well in the middle of the mixture. Set aside. In a separate bowl, gently beat eggs, then beat in the buttermilk. Pour into the well in the flour mixture and beat well. I've found that the more air you beat into the batter, the fluffier the pancakes will be. Pour batter onto a hot griddle or pan. I have found that each pan requires a different temperature. I usually start out with a medium heat and then adjust from there. I typically use a large ladle and make each pancake about 1/4 cup worth of batter. My Mom actually makes her batter in the blender - less drips when pouring onto the griddle! When the pancakes look dry around the edges, flip them over to cook on the other side. Pancakes are done when the batter is no longer runny and each side is a beautiful golden brown.

The Result:

As usal, the first batch came out all weird and burnt. I always seem to have trouble getting the temperature adjusted correctly. Hey - I never claimed to be a good cook, just an enthusiastic one! But once I got the temperature and the timing down, the subsequent batches turned out delicious and properly golden brown.

The Reviews:I thought they were tasty. Buttermilk tends to make a "heavier" pancake, and I prefer mine light and fluffy. I probably won't make them again unless I have some buttermilk to use up. The husband liked them, though. He refused to get out of bed and eat them on Saturday, but I packed them for his breakfast (he eats it at work) on Monday and Tuesday and he seemed happy. I can only hope he ate them himself instead of donating them to a coworker or the trashcan!